Rainwater Harvesting: HES, thinking globally and acting locally.
Posted by Margot on December 20, 2011 | No Comments
There’s something immensely satisfying about responding proactively to environmental problems, especially when your actions save money, are simple to implement and reduce your dependence on municipal services. In the face of water scarcity and increased water rates by as much as 50% in some localities, why pay for water that has been tanked treated and piped to your home so that you have access to safe drinking water, when much of that water flows into washing machines, hosepipes and toilets? The high level of contaminants found in drinking water is another reason for the current popularity of water harvesting. Rainwater is free and its essentially clean so why wastes it?
The technology is as simple as it is sensible and entails channeling rain water from roofs, via gutters and downpipes, into storage tanksplaced close to the house. It’s an ancient practice to which modernity has added screens, leaf beaters, water diverters, pumps, purification technologies and a wide range of choices in tank size, shape, color or composition.
For people with no access to piped municipal water, the decision to harvest rain water is an obvious one. But in the civilized, regulated first world, it is only worth doing if it genuinely benefits the planet, the pocket and the body. How much water does one save by using rain water for toilets and washing machines? Can it be used for vegetable gardens and for drinking water and if so is it better than municipal tap water? My research began with noting some essential facts about water:
• 80% of the earth’s surfaces is covered with water.
• 3% of is the earth’s water is fresh, and of this 3%, a whopping 75% is frozen.
• Less than 1% of all the water on the earth is available fresh water for drinking.
• If all the water on earth were in a gallon jug, the available drinking water would constitute one table spoon.
Ultimately all the water on earth dropped down from the sky as rain, ran over the earth in rivers or streams and collected in dams and seas.
En route over and through the ground, water dissolves chemicals and lands up at a pH of between 4.0 and 9.0 (below 7.2 is acid while above is alkaline). The lower the concentrations of acid-generating sulphur, nitrogen and carbon gases in the air (soxes, noxes and coxes) and the less contact with acid-generating substances in the ground, the less risk of the water becoming acidic. Acid water is corrosive and is able to dissolve and carry with it potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs). Water utilities use chemicals to adjust the pH of municipal water, to make it less corrosive, to help purify it (coagulation and precipitation then filtration), to adjust its hardness or softness and to disinfect it (chlorine, ozone, UV light). In spite of this process however a survey by the Ralph Nader group discovered excessive toxins in over 1500 municipal water supplies in the USA.
Water pollutants are divided into micro organisms, disinfectants, disinfectant by-products, organic chemicals and inorganic chemicals. BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates from plastics do not even make it onto the contaminant list, although scientific evidence is gaining momentum that these products from common plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC with a resin code of 3) and polycarbonate (7) cause hormone changes and contribute towards cancer, fetal abnormalities and reduced immunity. Nor do these pollutants appear among the approx 1000 chemicals on the updated PROP 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer and reproductive abnormalities, published by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in California.
Allegedly about 90% of the earth’s surface water is infected to varying degrees with parasites cryptosporidium and Giardia, bacteria E coli and salmonella and roto or polio viruses. Some also has nitrates from excessively fertilized soil. They are easily converted to nitrites which are decidedly unhealthy for a variety of reasons. The most worrying inorganic contaminants in water include excess aluminum, arsenic, asbestos, cadmium, chromium, copper, cyanide, fluoride, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, sulfate, thallium and zinc. Of 54 EPA listed organic pollutants the most harmful include alachlor, acryl amide, atrazine, benzene, benzopyrene, carbofuran, chlordane, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene, dioxin, heptachlor, PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenols), toluene and vinyl chloride. Most of these stem from petroleum refineries, chemical factory discharge, leaching of landfills or pesticide residue. Any radioactive substances are clearly not a boon.
Even after treatment, some of these remain in concentrations regarded as too high for human health. Scientific evidence also steadily recommends reducing prescribed limits, so that when the permitted level of arsenic of 50 micrograms/litre, was shown to pose a risk of cancer, the EPA revised the levels. All municipal water has chlorine added, regarded as harmless enough in liquid form in approved amounts, but harmful as a gas (hence in hot water showers) or in combination with other chemicals resulting in toxic chlorine by-products. As effective as it is against most harmful waterborne diseases, chlorine has no impact on Cryptosporidium or Giardia, which may bypass poor filtration systems. Fluoride levels as high as 4mgs/L are approved although in 1994 a World Health Organization expert committee on fluoride use, stated that 1.0 mg/L should be an absolute upper limit. It is only during the formative stage of permanent teeth, between 6 months and 8 years of age, that systemic fluoride contributes to dental health. Thereafter its value is in topical application to teeth. Hence millions of tons of fluoride are unnecessarily ingested by people whose municipal water is fluoridated, with possibly detrimental effects on health.
The EPA provides a gold standard for water quality testing, and publishes on its website, an annual water quality report for every region of the USA with results of local water testing. Of the approx 75 000 toxic chemicals used in society the EPA has set MCLs (maximum contamination levels) for 87, based on their effect on a 175 lb adult. However each substance is tested separately, with no adjustment for accumulated effects or for the impact on children. The Ralph Nader Study Group‚ after reviewing over 10‚000 documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act‚ maintained that U.S. drinking water contains more than 2100 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer.
All of this data makes harvesting one’s own rain water an attractive option. But how safe is the rainwater and what is it best used for?
I was first alerted to the value of rain water harvesting when I was stopped in my tracks by a 500 meter garden path in urban Newton (MA), lined by tomatoes, each like the tomato for T, on an ABC wall chart. It turned out they were watered with rain from a rainwater harvester and fed with seaweed. No pesticides allowed! This harvester was basic, with one collecting down pipe, a screen against insects and a hand tap that ran water into a hose or watering can.
But rainwater harvesting has its own risks. Lead based paints, tar based coatings, zinc in paint, acrylic painted roofs, fibrous cement roofs, galvanized iron, zincalume roofs, chemically treated timber and lead flashings should be nowhere along the collection stream, since all pose a risk of contaminating the water. Once the tank is installed, there should be monthly checking of gutters for vegetation and debris which can cause blocking and bacterial growth. Screens must be maintained to prevent mosquito larvae breeding and the tank may need occasional desludging, to remove sediment or algae.
The tank should be opaque, situated in the shade to prevent algae growth and it should be made from PET or polyethylene, (not one of the plastics that leeches chemicals into water, such as polyvinyl or poly carbonate), stainless steel, galvanized steel or fiberglass. If one’s house is in an industrial area, chances are the water will contain boxes soxes and coxes, be acidic and contain industrial chemical pollutants emitted from smoke stacks or drawn up in the vapor of any waters used as industrial waste dumps or close to landfill sites. It is advisable therefore to let the first flush of water from any rainfall wash away entirely, by installing water divertersinto the system.
The choice of tank is as wide as the application. The most basic waters the garden. With added reticulation through pumps and pipes, rain water can flush toilets, supply washing machines and showers or be used for drinking. Each stage requires further plumbing, pumping and monitoring. The cost also increases with each application and if used for drinking water, the method of purification is of paramount importance. As a rule of thumb, approx 150 gallons should be installed per person (this varies according to roof area and rainfall) and the cost could vary from 500 to 3000 dollars. The size of the barrel depends on how much water you use. On average one person consumes and uses 50 to 100 gallons per day and 600 gals soak 100 sq feet of garden. One inch of rainfall on a 1000 square foot roof (approx 3 garages) can capture 623 gallons of water. The average bath tub takes 41 gallons. If one goes to the trouble of harvesting rainwater; a 400 gallon drum seems a reasonable starting point with the potential to add drums as required. In MA where water costs every 400 gallons of rain water used saves ……………………… $ in water costs.
The first flush of rainwater after a dry season should be allowed to run to waste as it will be contaminated with dust, bird droppings etc. Roof gutters should have sufficient incline to avoid standing water. They must be strong enough, and large enough to carry peak flows. Storage tanks should be covered to prevent mosquito breeding and to reduce evaporation losses, contamination and algal growth. Rainwater harvesting systems require regular maintenance and cleaning to keep the system hygienic.
Installing a system for gardening needs no debate. Adding reticulation for toilets and washing machines makes sense if one can afford the cost. Harvesting rain water for an entire home water system is ideal if one is committed to maintenance and installs a full home water purifying system allowing for municipal back up when there is no rain.
For me, the ideal is to install a stainless steel or safe plastic rainwater tank which has a gutter mesh, to prevent leaves and debris from blocking gutters, gutter outlets that prevent obstruction to water flow, leaf beater rain heads on the downpipes to further prevent blocking and keep mosquitoes out of pipes that hold water, a water diverter to prevent the first flush of rainwater from entering the tank, a tank screen, flap valves and at some future date a pump system, rainwater filter and home water purification system.
Banding together with one’s neighbors and forming a roster for members of the co operative to take turns in having the rainwater tested, is a great way to share the load of finding local solutions.
We can live approximately 30 days without food but seldom more than 3 without water. The theory that water crystals respond to the mood you project onto them is difficult to swallow, but treating the earth and the water that flows on it with respect and love is the best way to make it not only healthy, but a sheer delight to swallow.
Energy Saving Showerheads – Why a Low Flow Showerhead Saves Money
Posted by Margot on December 20, 2011 | No Comments
Are you considering energy saving showerheads? That’s a good idea. What many home owners don’t realize is that heating water is the second largest consumer of energy in the home, after heating the house itself. The daily hot shower that we take consumes an amazing amount of hot water. This doesn’t mean you have to stop washing yourself or take shorter showers, but it does mean you should look into a low-flow showerhead. This just means that the showerhead is more efficient. You barely notice a difference, and yet you save lots of money on your energy bill.
A typical showerhead will burn through 2.5 to 3.5 gallons of hot water per minute. Compare this to a low-flow showerhead, which uses only 1.6 to 1.7 gallons per minute. This adds up to an immense amount of reduced water usage over the lifetime of the showerhead. These savings equate to save money & reduced CO2 emissions.
You might be wondering if a low-flow showerheads will feel like a fraction of a normal shower, like a trickle of water instead of a powerful stream. You need not worry, as the newer energy-saving showerheads share few similarities to its predecessors, from the 1970s and 1980s. Those older low-flow showerheads felt as if you were showering underneath a trickle of water. A current model use aerators and pressurizes to conserve water without the decrease in the force of the spray of water
Whether you’re interested in fixed showerheads or handheld showerheads, you can save money and energy with either. The price of a new showerhead will be made up quickly by the savings you will add up many times over after every single use. You can choose from a broad selection of wonderful, sleek, Eco-friendly, low-flow showerheads at site dedicated to lowering home energy costs, homeenergysaver.com
Air Purifiers for Your Home – Save Energy with an Eco-Friendly Air Cleaner
An Air Cleaner for your home can make a big difference in the quality of the air that you and your family breathe. Finding the right air purifier can save you loads of money, but there are many options to choose from. It’s important to know what to look for when thinking to buy an Eco-friendly air cleaner
People buy air cleaners to keep their rooms, homes, and offices allergen free and healthy. These amazing machines draw air in through dust and allergen air filters, trapping pollen, pet dander, bacteria, mold spores, dust mite debris, and smoke particles.
If you’re ready to purchase an energy efficient air cleaner, you should place it in an area of your house that you spend the most time in, or contains the highest amount of irritating allergens. If you spend a varied amount of time in several different rooms, then consider a portable unit that you can roll around from room to room.
You also should consider the capacity of a unit. Different room sizes require different purifier sizes. You don’t want to skimp on the size of the unit if you plan to use it in a room that’s larger than recommended. You should balance the size of the unit with the size of the room, to ensure you use the least amount of energy while keeping the air you breathe clean. A top-notch Air Cleaner will display filter status with LED indicators, will use a remote control, and will not emit ozone.
A great place to check out a top-recommended Air Cleaner is HomeEnergySaver.com, where you can find a great deal on an Eco-friendly home air cleaner.